SHIRLEYPARKGATE: Losana Rokotuibau, Stop hiding from the Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association and explain the illegality being carried out by Meghjis, Minister Bala and sanctioned by Aiyaz Khaiyum!

14/1/2016

11 January 2016

To: The Director Town and Country Planning
Losana Rokotuibau

Re: Conditions of Approval for Shirley Park Lot 1ND 5149 Lautoka

I refer to the Conditions of Approval for the rezoning of Shirley Park which was sent to the objectors of whom I am one.

On the 18th December 2015, P Meghji commenced groundbreaking in Shirley [Park] behind an area of the park that has now been fenced off to the public.

On the 17th and 18th December and on the Monday week following (Monday 21st December 2015 ), I rang the office of the Director Town and Country Planning Suva, the office of the Director of of Environment Suva and on their advice the Department of Environment West Lautoka, and the Lautoka City Council building section

Among those I spoke to were several senior staff including Rajieli Taylor.

My query related to point 6 of the Conditions of Approval that states, That an Environmental Impact Assesment (EIA) Report is to be prepared in consultation with the Director of Environment. The Terms of Reference (TOR) to be prepared in liason with the Director of Environment. The EIA report to be lodged with the outline building application. Approved copies of the respective construction and operational management reports (CEMP and OEMP) shall be submitted to the DTCP for records of reference.

On the 18th December 2015, the Director of Environment Aminiasi Qareqare's office informed me that they had no known EIA assessment carried out or passed for Shirley Park, and I was to refer to the Department of Environment West who confirmed the same.

The Lautoka City Council Building section also confirmed that the EIA had not been done and that building application approval had yet to be passed.

I was also informed by the Lautoka City Council that the EIA would be done after groundbreaking.

I would appreciate an explanation of how it is that groundbreaking permission was given before any of the above conditions were first carried out?

Groundbreaking for the developer acknowledges and confirms all the Conditions of Approval have been met and complied with to proceed.

Information from all the relevant office's of authority concerned inform us that this was not the case.

Ms Raijeli Taylor Principal Officer Town and Country Planning informed me that that any instructions for ground breaking would come from the Director Town and Country Planning?

I was also told she would be consulting with the Lautoka City Council office on the points I raised, however no one from your office returned the call.

Point 9 of the Conditions of Approval sent to all the objectors informs us that, The balance Area of Lot 1 ND5149 and part of DP1805 shall be maintained specifically for passive recreation for the use of the public. The Lautoka City Council and any third party shall be inclusive in its design of the proposed passive and active recreational area and must work in collaboration with residents and ratepayers of Lautoka city so as to maximize the functional area of the communal open space.

I refer to point 9 and the Minister for Local Government, Environment and Infrustructure Parveen Bala's comments in the Fiji Times (19/12/15, which I also questioned in the Fiji Times 29/12/15 )

He confirms in this article that the remaining area of Shirley Park will be developed by Meghji Group into an 8 hole golf course and a children's park.

I would like to know how the Minister for Local Government and the Meghji group made this decision without following through with any consultation with the residents and ratepayers of Lautoka as per point 9 of the Conditions of Approval?

As an objector who was included in receiving official documentation that relates to the Rezoning of Shirley Park, I would also like to know if the Conditions of Approval that we received, stamped by the Director of Town and Country Plannings Office (22/4/2015) has since changed in any way.

Point 9 also states and includes an area DP1805, which was not part of the original area for rezoning and was removed last year when pointed out by the objectors.

Is this area included in the fenced off area, and if not, is this area to be resubmitted for rezoning to be included as part of the Meghji property ?

Maude Elbourne
President,
Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association

14 Comments

Rajend Naidu

14/1/2016 09:31:49 pm

Editor,
Nick Dyrenfurth, an author of several books on Australian politics and history, tells us in his article ' Attacking unions isn't a substitute for good policy formulation' (The Age 15/01 ), that " Demonising unions and targeting the Opposition leader threatens to derail Malcolm Turnbull's " new politics " narrative".
Demonising unions and targeting the Opposition is also the modus operandi of the gang in government in Fiji and their propagandists.
Here is an example.
Writing in the Fiji Times 15/01 Richard Abel says " Mr Hazelman's explanation in the Fiji Times of 13/01 says it all as far as the unions are concerned" and he goes on to offer Gods blessing to him and others like him " who really have the working people at heart ".
I decided to find out for myself if Mr Hazelman's explanations " says it all as far as the unions are concerned " as Mr Abel asserted.
I find out that Nesbit Hazelman's is the CEO of the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation. He said in the Fiji Times 13/01 report that " as far as the employers are concerned dialogue between tripartite partners should be centred on the most pertinent issue... And that is the workers rights in relation to the conventions where we are signatories".
The way I see it the trade unions - not the employers - have historically been at the frontline in the fight for the protection and the advancement of workers rights.
If the employers and the government ( the other two tripartite partners) " really " had " the working people at heart " there would have been no need for the ILO to come to Fiji to investigate the failure to comply with the conventions where we are signatories.
If the government gang and the business wallahs had the interest of the common people at heart Shirley Park would not get rezoned for private capitalist development via dubious and devious State approval.
It is the Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association and its president Maude Elbourne who have been fighting to protect the commons . Not the employers. Not the government.
Let us get that straight.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

rajend naidu

18/1/2016 07:09:21 am

In his letter to the Age 18/01 Michael Doyle writes " ... Apparently, employees of today still need to be protected from rapacious bosses..."
Apparently. That is why national governments have a duty of care to put in place appropriate Labour Laws to protect workers. And appropriate in this context also means the laws must conform to the standards set by the ILO. The ILO is heading off to Fiji to check out the failure to comply. We should be guided by its findings rather than the views of Mr Hazelman the employers representative.

Chiku

14/1/2016 10:44:14 pm

What the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation CEO Nesbit Hazelman attempts to do with his statement in the Fiji Times article 'Decree has no bearing'13/01 is to gloss over the political context, the political reality in post coup Fiji. He claims the Political Parties Decree has nothing to do with industrial relations in the country. It is a false claim and a very convenient one for the special interest Mr Hazelman represents. Labour laws are not made in a political vacuum. The labour laws put in place by the Bainimarama dictatorship through imposed decrees are anti- worker and anti- trade union. Hence the trade union stance to factor in the political element .
Mr Hazelman says the FCEF " respects the views of the two trade union umbrella bodies in Fiji ". There is very little evidence of that.

On-Song

15/1/2016 12:10:21 am

Nesbit Hazelman, like those weary looking sods in the FNU Council have been around since Noah created the first zoo. Nesbit was the Fiji Employers Federation leader who backed, sponsored and led the move to destroy TPAF.......lest we forget!!!! He was never for he Unions nor ever acted in good faith towards employees and the Labour movement so cut the crap Nes.

Pita

15/1/2016 06:56:36 pm

Nesbit Hazelman should clean up his backyard first before commenting publically on anything. His organisation's website is full of grammatical and syntax errors that portrays poorly his and his organisation's credentials

Fiji First Party

15/1/2016 07:51:43 am

We admire and applaud Maude Elbourne for her untiring efforts and a long peaceful campaign to SAVE our Shirley Park for us and our children. Thank you.

All is not lost. We plead, once more, to all the good People of Lautoka to take a dignified and civil stand and to register your Protests to Lautoka City Council (or whoever) to STOP this permanent dispossession / alienation of our Shirley Park from us.

Meghji is not constructing a Hotel in our Shirley Park. He is erecting an ugly, towering, concrete - Symbol-of despicable CORRUPTION - right in midst of our beautiful, peaceful, Shirley Park.

That Picture

15/1/2016 08:52:00 am

Corrupt men with their shovels digging their own graves...

Shirley Shirley

17/1/2016 04:01:15 am

Did you notice the color of the ribbons on the spades? FFP colours. So blatant masi polo by the Gujuratis. They will sell their s****** (you know what) to gain a few bucks.

Shirley Shirley

15/1/2016 10:39:39 am

Aiyaz thinks he owns Shirley and can share her with his financiers. People will demand her back when democracy comes around. Her glory will be restored. Mehgji will lose the building when its nationalised and opened to the public.

Pita

15/1/2016 07:00:22 pm

Fiji needs a clean up and a Truth Commission to reveal all the cases of favouritism, nepotism and corruption that Shirley Park is just one of many examples

Chiku

15/1/2016 08:23:18 pm

You are right but that will not happen because truth is anathema for tyranny and make no mistake tyranny still rules in Fiji . Democracy is only a front.

On-Song

18/1/2016 02:40:27 am

Throughout History the greedy and the corrupt arrive, grab, enjoy and then destroy. The biggest beneficiaries of the ruling Fiji First Party have been the rulers themselves and their election financiers who are currently collecting their (un)just dues. Thank you Maude for your drive to stop this craziness and destruction of Shirley Park, but many 'once prominent' figures have been missing from the scene because of their roaring silence for having aligned themselves to Bainimarama's govt. and no longer have a voice. these are the ones that would have chained themselves to the big vaivai trees in Lautoka to prevent their chopping down etc. and would yell to stop developments that affect the citizens and the environment. Now, they drive past the destructions so evident of our natural habitats without a blink or thought; where once they would have fought to stop the reckless destruction of all those trees from the Airport to Martintar; in the name of Progress....backwards!!!

AK74.. ASK74 AK47??

18/1/2016 10:25:56 am

Why is the Ag digging with spade and wearing orange around the neck. Is the orange a sign of things to come.. three quarter and shirt?
Am I dreaming or is that a sign from GOD? If this last 9 years was indeed a nightmare then I better continue with this dream. It looks like a happy ending when I wake up!!
Oh wait I see...... CINPAC is that you? My my I like this dream.

Bahuki

21/1/2016 05:24:55 am

Complete disregard for proper consultations and following other proper channels before actually embarking on actual projects is clearly nothing new.

And AK-47 is the leader of the pack in giving out freebies to the responsible stakeholders and shunning public opinions and interests.

Very corrupt, nepotic, and favored to suite one's own needs and personal agenda --- courtesy of a crony-infested dictatorship.

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SHIRLEYPARKGATE: Losana Rokotuibau, Stop hiding from the Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association and explain the illegality being carried out by Meghjis, Minister Bala and sanctioned by Aiyaz Khaiyum!

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